The Couple
by AllUNeedIsFaith
Summary: SANA. Sequel to ‘The Return’. Walt comes back for Vincent, and Ana realises that she and Sawyer are a couple and subsequently throws him across the room.


**Title: The Couple**

**Summary: SANA. Sequel to 'The Return'. Walt comes back for Vincent, and Ana realises that she and Sawyer are a couple and subsequently throws him across the room. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.**

**Author Notes: It's a sad day. My beta has abandoned me. Fortunately, my muse hasn't so here's another chapter! One which came a lot easier than the last, may I add. Well kinda, I got halfway through and then my music muse beat my LOST muse into submission and I was forced to write like a million songs... Now that I've recovered (save for the wicked painful blisters that make my fingers hurt every time I type) here is the new stuff... Thanks for waiting**

**I'm trying to make Sawyer's nicknames for people more complicated than I have in the past. So, for those of you who don't get them here's an explanation...**

**Norman Bates - Main character in the book/movie 'Psycho'**

**Tony Franklin - English musician who plays fretless bass guitar in bands The Firm (along with some Led Zepplin members) and Blue Murder**

**Charles Manson - An American convict, and career criminal. Committed many crimes including car theft, forgery, credit card fraud and masterminded several brutal murders**

**William Wallace - A Scottish knight who led a resistance to the English occupation of Scotland during significant periods of the Wars of Scottish Independence. You might know this character from a Mel Gibson movie about war, I know there are so many but this is the one where he wears blue and white make up. Sorry Mel, but I don't think it _quite_ suits your complexion...**

**Disney - Okay this is self explanatory. I mean, who else around here hasn't felt the urge to call the kid Disney? C'mon now be honest... Ha! I knew it...**

**On the C2: stuck for ideas for the name... Suggestions are good and desperately needed so please :grin: Person who does gets love, hugs and many a virtual cookie... I mean, real... yeah, I'll post it to ya and everything ;)...**

**Also, I've kinda been having a 'Scrubs' marathon so it _may_ show through later in the story... I hope the lightness of it doesn't scare some people, I know its pretty OOC to be happy and joking around on this island, but I just love to see these people happy. Also, watching three seasons of 'Scrubs' non stop is detrimental to your mental health. Detrimental in the way that you just cannot stop ranting Dr Cox style and writing humour of the sexual, physical and verbal kind...**

**And, we're back...**

A day after Jack had injected the antibiotic Ana woke up. She had woken up a few times before, but she was incoherent then, not knowing where she was or who anyone was, before falling back into unconsciousness. Sawyer saw her wake up, but didn't get his hopes up too high, he knew better than that by then. But when she didn't immediately go back to sleep, he sat forward in his seat.

She blinked, trying to shake her mind out of the deep sleep that it had been in for so long. Sawyer leaned forward and watched her as her eyes slid over slowly to meet his.

"Sawyer?" She asked weakly and he smiled. Taking her hand in his he reassured her.

"That's what they call me." He joked quietly and she scoffed a laugh. The movement from this made her wince and her hand went to her head as her eyes closed, trying to suppress the pain.

"How do you feel?" He asked, concern clear on his face and in his tone.

"Like I've been hit by a Mack Truck." Was Ana's response as she groaned and Sawyer chuckled.

"Want anything?" He asked and Ana looked at him.

"Yeah. Some morphine would be nice." She grunted and he chuckled again.

"Don't have that, but we do have some aspirin. If that'd help at all..." Sawyer offered an apologetic grimace as he knew that the pain killer would be nowhere near the strength that she was looking for.

"I'll take anything I can get." Ana said, grunting as she sat up. Sawyer handed her the aspirin bottle that was next to him.

"Hold up, I'll get you some water." He said, going over to the sink and filling up the glass. When he came back he was presented with a surprising sight.

"You dry swallowed the whole bottle?" He asked incredulously and Ana shrugged nonchalantly, "But-But... There were 5 doses in there!" He exclaimed and took the bottle back. He shook it upside down, as if there were some more which had somehow stuck to the bottom or were hiding. When nothing fell out he looked back at her with surprise clear on his face.

"Yeah well," Ana lay back down, "When I say 'Mack Truck' I mean 'Aircraft Carrier'." She said, groaning. She covered her eyes with her hands and massaged her temples with her thumbs. Sawyer clicked his tongue sympathetically and replaced her thumbs with his own pointer and middle fingers, massaging her temples gently. Ana seemed to purr contentedly as she relaxed in the care of his skilled hands.

"So anything interesting happen while I was out?" Ana asked, her eyes still closed. Sawyer grimaced as he wondered how he would explain what had happened while she was gone.

----

24 hours earlier...

"Where's Michael?" Charlie's accented voice woke Sawyer from his sleep. Apparently it woke Desmond too, because he fell off his chair with a shout. Sawyer looked over at Desmond with an amused expression as the Scot sheepishly picked himself up off the floor. Then Charlie's words came back to him.

"Norman Bates is gone?" His voice was slightly panicked, then he remembered Walt, "What about Junior?"

"Junior?" Charlie's brow furrowed as he tried to decipher Sawyer, "You mean Walt? Walt's back?" Sawyer left Ana's side for the first time she had slipped into unconsciousness to bypass a surprised Charlie who was still rattling off questions, to look into the armoury himself. It was empty.

**-Flashback-**

"What the hell is happening to her?" Sawyer hissed at Jack.

Michael peered around the corner of the armoury and, seeing everyone preoccupied with Ana, turned back to his son.

"We have to go now Walt." He said, desperate since he knew that the window of opportunity would be gone very quickly.

"Dad," Walt said and Michael paused, knowing by the look on Walt's face that it was important, "I forgive you." Walt finished, and Michael knew by the look on his face that he somehow _knew_ everything that had gone down, and he forgave him for everything. Michael blinked and then smiled for the first time in a long time.

"Come on, let's go." With that they both ran out of the Hatch, never to return again.

**-End Flashback-**

"We have to get a group and go after them." Charlie insisted but was disagreed with by Sawyer immediately.

"No way Tony Franklin, I say we leave them be." Sawyer said, obviously not too happy about keeping Michael in the first place, nevertheless risking people's lives to save him.

"Walt's just a kid, he'll die out there." Charlie argued back.

"If they want to come back, then let them. But I'm not going after Charles Manson!" Sawyer retorted and this was when Jack stepped in.

"Michael left for a reason." He stated logically, actually backing Sawyer up for once, but Charlie still protested.

"Cos we locked him up!" He yelled.

"Well let's bring him back then. So he can attack _your_ girl and then we'll see how you feel about him." Sawyer responded sarcastically.

"That's low." Charlie growled, his voice low and dangerous. Well, low and dangerous for Charlie.

"It's not low, it's what happened." Sawyer reason and Charlie stepped back, not knowing what else to say. That was when Hurley spoke.

"We should go after them." He said softly and everyone turned around, disbelief on their face. He continued, "What if they get captured by the Others? It's Walt. No matter what his father has done, he's still an innocent kid."

"What about Michael?" Jack asked, the wronged man's words were what would be followed because he was meant to be the most biased, yet somehow he was the most level headed. But at the mention of Michael, Hurley lost his impartial judgement.

"He can rot in hell."

So the search-and-rescue party was decided. Charlie, Jack, Sayid and a still-to-be-determined fourth member. Normally Sawyer would accompany them without a second thought, but he wanted to stay back with Ana, leaving a hole in the group that none of them were too happy with.

"Sawyer we need the guns." Jack said with a sigh, tired of arguing with the Southerner.

"I'm not leaving her side, _Doc_." He snarled back.

"I propose Jack looks after Ana," Sayid suggested and Sawyer turned to Sayid.

"Not you too, Mohammed." Sawyer groaned.

"Who would replace me then?" Jack asked like a five year old who was trying to justify his right to go on a trip to Disneyland.

"Desmond." Sayid answered simply and this caused another chorus of disagreement, Desmond joining in this time.

"Whoa now Brotha, don't think I'm ready for a search-and-rescue." Desmond protested but Sawyer stopped him, as if something had just occurred to him.

"What if," Sawyer paused as if he was still considering the idea that he was about to suggest, "What if William Wallace stays here with Ana, and I go?"

Everyone stared at Sawyer as he said this. The fact that he would willingly leave Ana's side was mind boggling enough, but to leave her in _Desmond's_ charge? Especially when everyone knew Desmond had shared a forbidden kiss with Ana not too long ago. Plus, couldn't Sawyer not stand him like two seconds ago? Desmond just smiled at the Southerner, this was something which showed that Sawyer really had forgiven him.

"I'll look after her well." He promised and the Southerner smirked.

"You damn well better, or I'll do somethin' to ya that makes what happened to Queen Mary look like a walk in the park." Sawyer warned, Desmond chuckled but when the Sawyer's expression went deadly serious his eyes widened and he looked fairly scared, ducking behind Sayid for protection.

"So it's settled." Jack said, after casting a strange look in the Scot's direction. Jack was just glad that he didn't have to stay back himself, loving to be in the thick of everything, even the things that didn't involve him.

"So we're going?" Sawyer asked and Charlie raised an eyebrow at this.

"You seem eager." Charlie drawled and Sawyer shrugged.

"Sooner we go, sooner we get this done, and sooner I can get back to Ana." Sawyer said and Charlie nodded.

"Let's go then." He said and the respective males gathered themselves. Sawyer went over to Ana and kissed her on the forehead lightly.

"I'll be right back," He stroked her hair gently, "Promise."

Then they set out to find the father-son duo which had eluded them.

----

Sawyer was alone. He was still stumped as to why he was alone. Sure, the whole split-up approach was a popular way to execute these search-and-rescue operations, but then why not bring more people? He shook his head, sometimes he didn't get Jack. Okay, all the time he didn't get Jack. On one hand he was a pretentious, up-himself, picture-perfect doctor, on the other he was a neurotic, self-obsessed, angst-addict who like to party it up in the land of Love Triangles. That guy really needed therapy.

But Sawyer had to concentrate on the issue at hand. Finding Walt and who's-its. Because the sooner he did that, the sooner they could go back to the hatch and the sooner he could get back to Ana. He was really starting to hate himself for leaving in the first place, it wasn't the right decision. Even if it did shut Jacky-boy up, it left him without the one person he depended on.

He sighed as he scanned the area. There was nothing here, it was a complete waste of...

There! What was that? Sawyer walked closer carefully.

"Short Round?" He asked cautiously and the figure turned around. It was Walt. Sawyer breathed out in relief. Mission accomplished and all that, well done for him and he would be seeing Ana sooner than he thought. And without Jack pouting and saying that they should spend the rest of their natural lives devoted to God and Medicine because they had made one mistake.

"Have you seen my Dad?" Walt asked, his eyebrows knotted together. Sawyer frowned slightly.

"Sorry kid, can't say I have." He said and watched Walt as he looked around desperately, trying to get a glimpse of his father that was now, apparently, MIA. He took in a breath and decided that the little fella had probably put up with so much having a psycho for a father, that he didn't need some insane Southerner going off at him for wanting to know where his psycho father was. So he just reached out and put his hand on the kid's shoulder.

"Let's go home, eh Disney?" He said as he kneeled down in front of the kid to be at his eye level. Walt bit his lip, still looking around as if his father was going to pop out of nowhere.

"But, he told me to wait here." Walt said in such a wavery tone that even Sawyer couldn't get up the gumption to get annoyed at him.

"Look, if I promise to help you find him, will you come back with me? Everyone misses you, ya know?" Sawyer said, with his most honest and good-guy face that he had. Walt looked at him then searched the surrounding trees for a few minutes.

"Vincent misses you." Sawyer added and that sealed the deal. Walt nodded, his lips pulling sideways into a smirk.

"Okay. I know you wanna get back to Ana." Walt said with a grin and then walked on ahead, leaving Sawyer on one knee and wondering how the heck Walt knew her name. Then he shook it off, he probably heard it from when they were talking or maybe Michael told him. Even though he couldn't shake off that strange feeling that the kid knew more than he was letting on.

"Oh and Sawyer," Walt turned around and Sawyer looked up at him, "She's gonna be fine." He said with a wide grin and then continued walking. Sawyer was left with yet another head scratcher, but he couldn't help but trust the kid. So he got up with a small smile on his face and followed him.

----

"...And that is all that has happened in the past 24 hours." Sawyer finished the story with a flourish and Ana stared at him.

"That's it?" She asked incredulously and he nodded.

"Yeah, what you want more?" He raised an eyebrow and she shook her head quickly.

"No, no, no. Seems like you had enough on your plate there." Ana said, with an eye widen to show her sympathy.

"Yeah..." Sawyer said vaguely and then looked at her, punching her shoulder gently, "And I still had you to worry about every second." She smiled at this and turned onto her side, facing him fully.

"Really now? _Every_ second?" She asked, her voice dropping in tone an octave or two. Sawyer, catching to difference in tone moved the wheelie chair forward, leaning in.

"Well it was touch-and-go for a moment there." Sawyer said, his own voice dropping in tone and volume. Ana bit her lip as her eyes went down to his lips for a second before meeting his eyes again.

"I think I may be able to fix that." She said leaning in.

"Oh yeah?" He asked a second before their lips met. She made a small noise against his lips and he grinned slightly. Then she pushed him back. This wasn't the smartest thing as he _was_ on a wheelie chair so that caused him to go all the way to the other side of the room and crash against the wall with a yell. That caused Desmond to awake and survey the situation for about a second before deciding that this would probably be the best for him to leave.

"What. The. Hell?" Sawyer roared as he finally separated himself from the chair and stood up. Ana quickly scrambled up, going over to him with a worried expression.

"Oh god, are you alright?" She asked as she tried to check him over for damage. Sawyer slapped her hands away and stared at her, fire lighting up his eyes.

"Uh, no? You just launched me right into the friggin' wall for chrissakes woman!" He shouted and Ana tried to calm him down.

"I'm sorry okay? I just realised something..." She said quietly and he frowned slightly, trying to decide whether or not to let it go for long enough to find out why her bottom lips was sticking out so stubbornly. Then he decided to swallow his pride, and whatever else he was getting ready to throw at her, and sighed, rolling his eyes.

"What is it?" He asked, not sounding all that friendly but Ana didn't need a crowbar to ply it out of her.

"It's just... We've become," She paused as she tried to look for the words, "A _couple_." Tried and failed miserably.

"Oh really now sunshine? Cos I was under the impression we were bestest buddies." Sawyer drawled sarcastically and Ana rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"I'm serious Sawyer. I mean, we're one of those couples who shares food and kisses in the park and does all that other cute crap..." Ana said and grunted as she sat down heavily on the couch. Sawyer sighed and then gave in, following her and sitting next to her.

"I know. I hate it too. So let's stop doing all this cute crap starting now." Sawyer said decisively and Ana giggled, "What?" He asked, a disapproving expression on his face.

"It's just that..." Ana put on a 'strong' face and imitated Sawyer, "'Let's stop doing all this cute crap starting now.' You gotta admit, that was kinda cute." She said and he shook his head firmly.

"Nuh uh. I'm not cute." He said, his face stuck firmly in a 'hard ass' expression as he tried to prove to her that he definitely wasn't 'cute'.

"You kinda are." Ana said and he continued to shake his head.

"Nah, I'm not." He denied vehemently. She raised an eyebrow as she played with his hair, trying to get him to look at her. When he finally did - out of the corner of his eye - she just nodded.

"You are." She said, fluttering her eyelashes and he groaned, leaning back and putting his arms behind his head.

"I know," He sighed, Ana leant back against him and he put an arm down around her, "So what are we gonna do about it?" He asked and looked at her. She looked up at him and just reached up to pinch his cheeks.

"Absolutely nothing." She reached up to kiss him on the forehead, and then gave him a pat on the head.

"Wonderful." He groaned and she chuckled, snuggling in closer to him.

"Absolutely nothing." She whispered into his chest and he looked down on her with a small smile.

"I know why you're having the straight girl freak out." He said and she looked up at him suddenly, a very strange look on her face.

"Straight girl freak out?" She asked (well more demanded), and he looked like a deer-caught-in-headlights, not entirely sure _why_ she was reacting this way. So she spelled it out for him, "Okay, first of all Cowboy, that was the smallest freak outs in human history..."

"Smallest-? You hurled me across the damn room!" He said and she held up a hand, clearly not wanting him to speak yet.

"And secondly, if you didn't already know, you're a guy. Therefore the whole 'straight girl freak out' term doesn't apply." She said, using air quotes for 'straight girl freak out'.

"Well, ya are straight. And ya're a girl. And ya're freakin' out, so I'm thinking it does apply." He said and she sighed in frustration.

"For me to have a straight girl freak out, you would have to be Kate and I would have to be waking up from an _inc-uh-redibly_ drunk night in which all my standards had been stripped." Ana said and Sawyer thought about what she had said for a second. Or more than a second. With the Good Will Humping theme song running through his head.

"Sawyer," Ana said, her tone serious enough to snap him out of staring into space, "If I hear one _syllable_ of that damn theme song, you will no longer be able to hit the low notes." Sawyer's eyes went wide and the theme song screeched to a halt in his mind as he offered her a nervous smile and chuckle.

"Look," She went into serious mode - minus threats - and Sawyer, still thinking about what pain the cop could do to him, damn well listened up, "I know that it was kinda weird of me to have that huge freak out, but... I just... I've never been one of those 'cute couples' who's exchanged PDAs. Or banter which can also be counted sexual innuendo. I just... It kinda comes as a shock to me. And it might take me a while to ease back into it since I am so damn self conscious right now but... I will get over it, and I will be fine."

"Well that's good to hear Chica, cos I don't really appreciate the being-thrown-across-the-room." He said, lying back against the back of the couch again. Ana rolled her eyes and lay back against him.

"What will it take to make you let that go?" She asked and he pondered it for a moment.

"I think you know." He answered cryptically and she sighed heavily. She had made a mistake, and this was the price. Stupid payback.

"Fine." She sighed and he grinned so hard his mouth damn near fell off.

"Bow chika bow wow, bow chika bow wow. Now c'mon sweetness, ain't no fun if you don't do it along with me." He said and she rolled her eyes before finally submitting.

"Fine." She answered, sounding like it took all of her energy to not sock him one.

"Bow chika bow wow, sing it with me now, bow chika bow wow." Sawyer sang at the top of his voice.

"Bow chika bow wow." Ana muttered at the bottom of hers.

"You're gonna need more enthusiasm than that Chica. C'mon now. Bow chika bow wow." Sawyer said, playing an imaginary guitar, "Now get in with me for the big finish." He urged her and she rolled her eyes again before, muttering at the bottom of her voice while Sawyer once again sang at the top of his.

"Bow chika chika chika, bow chika chika chika, bow chika bow wow." Sawyer finished with a flourish and Ana wondered what on god's green earth had she done to deserve such a punishment. Then she looked at the small dent in the wall Sawyer's journey had made and winced. Right. So while Sawyer launched into his own solo song, getting up and doing a dance (which involved a _lot_ of hip thrusting) Ana just sat back and felt her penance being paid, slowly but surely.

Eventually she had had enough - must've been at _least_ five minutes of non-stop 'bow chika bow wow'ing - and jumped up, grabbed him by the hand and forced him into the armoury. Then she proceeded to execute her own method of getting him to shut up.

It involved lack of clothing, nimble fingers and a _very_ exploratory tongue. And, just like every time before, it worked.

In fact, it worked so well that by the end of it, she had gotten Sawyer to promise to never ever sing that theme song again, never to bring up the throwing-across-the-room-incident, or to hip thrust unless he was going to put it to good use.

All in all, it seemed like a really productive day.


End file.
